Freight-car-door fixture



(No Model.) 2 sheets sh eet 1..

' P. J. COLE 81; E. W. GRIEVES.

FREIGHT OAR DOOR FIXTURE.

No. 444,242. Patented Jan. 6, 1891.

Hal,

(NO-Mbdel.) 2 SheetsSheet 2.

F. J. COLE & E. W. GRIEVES. FREIGHT OAR DOOR FIXTURE.

No. 444,242. Patented Jan. 6,1891

" UNITED STATES PATENT rFiCE.

FRANCIS J. COLE AND EDWARD \V. GRIEVES, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

FRElGHT-CAR-DQOR FIXTURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 444,242, dated January 6, 1891.

Application filed July 3, 1890. Serial No. 357,607. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, FRANCIS J. COLE and EDWARD W. GRIEVES, both citizens of the United States, and residents of Baltimore, Maryland, have invented certain Improvements in Freight-Car-Door Fixtures, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention consists of an improved bracket for supporting the door-track on the side of a freight-car, and of an improved shoe for application to the door for running upon the track, the object of our invention being to so construct these fixtures .that they will be much lighter and stronger than the corresponding fixtures at present in use. This ob- Ject we attain in the manner hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of part of afreightcar and door with fixtures constructed in accordance with our invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the track-bracket, with the track in section. Fig. 3 is a front view of the bracket and part of the track. Fig. 4. is a view of the blank from which the bracket is made. Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a front view and a sectional view of one form of door-shoe constructed in accordance with our invention. Figs. 7 and 8 are similar views of another form of said shoe. Figs. 9 and 10' are like views of still another form of shoe. Fig. 11 isa reduced perspective viewof the shoe shown in Figs. 9 and 10, and Fig. 12 is a view of the blank from which said shoe is formed. Door-track brackets and shoes at present in use on freight-cars are made of cast-iron, and are not only heavy, but they do not possess the requisite strength for fixtures subjected to such severe strains. In carrying out our invention, therefore, we make these fixtures of sheet metal, preferably sheet-steel, cut to the proper shape and pressed up into form, as hereinafter set forth.

The track-bracket A (shown in Figs. 2 and 3) is formed fromaflaringor wedge-shaped piece, of metal, such as shown in Fig. 4, this piece being first subjected to a punching operation, whereby the bolt-holes a and the recesses 19 at the upper corners of the plate are formed. This plate is then bent on the lines 00 as, Fig. 4, so as to form a back plate cl for bearing against the side of the car, and projecting side wings or brackets d, which serve to support the track D, the latter resting in the recesses Z) in the upper outer corners of the wings or brackets 01', as shown in Fig. 2, and being held in position therein by the upper bolt (1 which secures the bracket to the car.

Various forms of door-shoes B for running upon the track may be formed from sheet metal in accordance with our invention, one of the simplest forms of such a shoe being shown in Figs. 5 and 6, in whichf represents a rectangular plate of sheet metal having suitablebolt-holes f formed therein and bent successively at the points 1, 2, 3, at, and 5, so as to form a horizontal web g for riding upon the track, and inner and outer guide-ribs h h for embracing said track, the inner rib being in this case of double thickness of metal.

In Figs. 7 and 8 is shown a form of shoe in which the bending is somewhat modified, so as to form a horizontal bearing-web g and outer guide-rib h of double thickness of metal.

For the sake of economy, however, we prefer to make the shoe as shown in Figs. 9 to 12, the plate f in this case being originally in the form of the blank shown in Fig. l2that is to say, with side projections m m and an end projection n. This blank is then cut or slitted upon the lines 10, Fig. 12, and then bent upon the line y y, so that the projections m m at the sides of the plate form diagonal corner-braces m at the bottom of the shoe. The shoes shown in Figs. 5 to 8 are also provided with similar diagonal corner-braces, as shown in Figs. 6 and 8 and by dotted lines in Figs. 5 and 7. The projection 17. at the end of the plate and the lip or tongue n, formed by the slits or incisions w, are then bent down, as shown in Figs. 9, 10, and ll, so as to constitute the inner and outer guide-ribs h h for the shoe. It will be noted that the side projections m m of the blank shown in Fig. 12 differ in shape from the diagonal cornerbraces m of the finished shoe shown in Fig. 11, the object of this being to providea sur plus of metal, which, when compressed by the dies into the form of the diagonal cornerbraces, will serve to stiffen and strengthen the same.

Track brackets or shoes constructed in accordance with our invention are not only much lighter in weight than the usual cast-iron shoes, butthey are also stronger and better calculated to resist the strains to which they are subjected in use.

Having thus described our invention, we claim and desire to secure by Letters latent- 1. The within-described door-track bracket for railroad freight-cars, the same consisting of a single plate of sheet metal bent to form a back plate with projecting side wings for supporting the track, said wings being recessed at their upper outer corners for the reception of the track, substantially as specifled.

2. The within-described shoe for freight-car doors, the same consisting of a single plate of sheet metal bent at right angles to form the vertical or attaching portion and the horizontal portion for riding upon the track, said shoe having diagonal corner-braces at each end and having guide-ribs projecting downward from the horizontal bearing-web and formed by bending or striking up portions of the plate, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANCIS J. COLE. ED\VARD V. GRIEVES. Witnesses:

WILLIAM H. BERRY, MURRAY HANSON. 

